Leashes are commonly used to walk animals in the parks, neighborhoods, etc. so that the pet cannot wander away from its owner. Since many pet owners work during the day, typically, pet owners walk their pet at night. Henceforth, I have determined that integrating a lighting device and a retractable leash will eliminate the need for pet owners to carry a separate flash light while walking their pet at night. Moreover, I have determined that integrating a strapping means for strapping the pet to a post such as while in the park or the like is very desirable.
Several devices have been patented which are aimed at pet leashes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,143, to Alberti, entitled "RETRACTABLE LEASH APPARATUS PROVIDING FOR DOUBLING THE RANGE AND RETRACTION SPEED OF SUCH APPARATUS WITHOUT TENSION INCREASE" discloses a leash apparatus which utilizes two commercially available self retracting leashes, one carried by on the leashed animal and the other carried by the animal owner. Each leash has a button which, when a button is pushed, locks the leash line reel in the leash. The button on the user hold leash is manually operated. The button on the animal carried leash is operated by remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,019, to Hong-Rong et al., entitled "ANIMAL LEASH" discloses an animal leash which is made of aircraft cable of a particular length. The cable includes a clamp having an eye for receiving a snap connector for securing the cable about a tree or post so that the animal can readily move around the tree or post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,230, to Talo, entitled "RETRACTING AND LOCKING ANIMAL LEASH" discloses a hand-held apparatus which dispenses, retracts and locks an animal leash in a desired position. The apparatus includes a housing having an elongated handle portion adapted to be grasped in the hands of the user and a generally cylindrical spool/cord reservoir portion from which the cord extends coupled to the top of the handle portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,150, to McCarthy, entitled "DOG LEASH" discloses a retractable leash device which includes a leash cable which is wound on a spring-loaded spool. The housing of the device includes an outer casing which is essentially shaped like two hollow truncated pyramids aligned base to base. One end of the outer casing functions as a hand grip wherein the hand grip is provided with a spring loaded braking plate so that squeezing the handgrip causes the teeth on the braking plate to engage and stop the leash cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,642, to Rogers et al., entitled "EXTENSIBLE ANIMAL LEASH" discloses an extensible animal leash having a casing for spooling therein a flexible leash. The casing has coupled thereto a flexible strap for holding the extensible animal leash by the animal owner.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,776,644, to Fontaine, entitled "ANIMAL TETHERING DEVICE" discloses an animal tethering device which includes a casing for spooling therein the leash and a loop strap which extends from the rear end of the casing and can be snugly fit about the wrist while the casing is held in the hand.
While each of the above pet leashes function as desired, none of them have a multi-functional retractable pet leash comprising a housing having integrally formed therewith a handle wherein the housing houses therein a first spooling mechanism which spools a flexible leash member for tethering an animal and a second spooling mechanism which spools a strapping means for strapping the housing to a tree or post of varying circumferences. Additionally, the housing houses therein a flashlight assembly wherein at least a portion of the housing is transparent to allow the light to project therethrough.
As will be seen more fully below, the present invention is substantially different in structure, methodology and approach from that of the prior retractable pet leashes.